Pad Joe Whelahan
Encyclopedia
Patrick Joseph Whelahan (born 1945 in Banagher
, County Offaly
), better known as Pad Joe Whelahan, is an Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh's
and with the Offaly
senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s. Whelahan later served as manager of the Offaly and Limerick
senior inter-county teams. He has also had a very successful career as manager of club sides Birr
and Toomevara
.
, County Offaly
in 1945. He was educted locally and later settled in Birr
where he runs his own pub. Whelahan's sons - Brian
, Simon
and Barry - would all taste success with Birr and with Offaly on the inter-county scene.
with his local St. Rynagh's
club in Banagher and enjoyed much success. He won his first of his ten senior county titles in 1965. Whelahan added further county honours to his collection in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. 1970 saw St. Rynagh's covert their county title into a Leinster
club title, however, the team was later defeated in the All-Ireland final by Roscrea
. Whelahan captured a second Leinster club medal in 1972, however, Glen Rovers
accounted for the Offaly side in the All-Ireland final once again.
. He spent thirteen years with the senior inter-county team, however, it was a time when Offaly hurling was unfashionable and Whelahan never had any major success. He did win a National Hurling League
Division 2 medal following a victory over Antrim
.
in the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition, however, he also had little success in this hurling competition.
and Nenagh Éire Óg
to club honours in Tipperary
as well.
It was with Birr
that Whelahan enjoyed his biggest successes. He took charge of his adopted club side in 1997 and steered Birr to a county title. Leinster club honours quickly followed before Birr captured the All-Ireland
club title in 1998. The following year Whelahan's side captured the first of five county titles in-a-row. During this very successful period Birr also captured Leinster club honours in 1999, 2001 and 2002. These provincial titles were converted into All-Ireland wins in 2002 and 2003. Whelahan resigned as Birr manager after the club failed to win a sixth county title in-a-row in 2004. He later returned to guide the club to further county and Leinster honours in 2007. His side were later defeated by Portumna
in the All-Ireland final in 2008.
titles in 1986, 1987 and 1989. He also took charge of the county under-21 and senior sides. Whelahan guided the senior team to several Leinster
titles in the late 1980s.
Whelahan served as manager of the Limerick
senior inter-county team between 2003 and 2005, however, he had little success as Limerick failed to win a championship game. He has also been linked to vacant managerial positions in Antrim, Westmeath
, Offaly and Dublin
.
Banagher
Banagher is a town in Ireland, located in the midlands on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The name Banagher comes from its Irish name which translates to English as "the place of the pointed rocks on the Shannon"...
, County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
), better known as Pad Joe Whelahan, is an Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh's
St. Rynagh's GAA
St. Rynagh's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that encompasses the towns of Cloghan and Banagher in County Offaly, in Ireland. Formed in 1961, the club gained almost immediate success - winning the senior championship in 1965. St. Rynagh's went on to appear in three All-Ireland club finals...
and with the Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
senior inter-county team in the 1960s and 1970s. Whelahan later served as manager of the Offaly and Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
senior inter-county teams. He has also had a very successful career as manager of club sides Birr
Birr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
and Toomevara
Toomevara GAA
Toomevara GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Toomevara in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling.-Honours:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 3** 1993, 2004, 2006...
.
Early & private life
Pad Joe Whelahan was born in BanagherBanagher
Banagher is a town in Ireland, located in the midlands on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The name Banagher comes from its Irish name which translates to English as "the place of the pointed rocks on the Shannon"...
, County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
in 1945. He was educted locally and later settled in Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
where he runs his own pub. Whelahan's sons - Brian
Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan is an Irish sportsperson. He currently plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006...
, Simon
Simon Whelahan
Simon Whelahan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team between 1998 and 2004...
and Barry - would all taste success with Birr and with Offaly on the inter-county scene.
Club
Whelahan played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local St. Rynagh's
St. Rynagh's GAA
St. Rynagh's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that encompasses the towns of Cloghan and Banagher in County Offaly, in Ireland. Formed in 1961, the club gained almost immediate success - winning the senior championship in 1965. St. Rynagh's went on to appear in three All-Ireland club finals...
club in Banagher and enjoyed much success. He won his first of his ten senior county titles in 1965. Whelahan added further county honours to his collection in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. 1970 saw St. Rynagh's covert their county title into a Leinster
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling tournament played between the winners of the senior club hurling championships of the counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny. The first Leinster senior club hurling...
club title, however, the team was later defeated in the All-Ireland final by Roscrea
Roscrea GAA
Roscrea GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Roscrea in North County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The club's ground ground shares its name with St. Cronan's BNS in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The club's colours are red and white and they play at Páirc Naomh Cronáin Roscrea...
. Whelahan captured a second Leinster club medal in 1972, however, Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
accounted for the Offaly side in the All-Ireland final once again.
Inter-county
Whelahan also lined out at various levels with his native OffalyOffaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
. He spent thirteen years with the senior inter-county team, however, it was a time when Offaly hurling was unfashionable and Whelahan never had any major success. He did win a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
Division 2 medal following a victory over Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
.
Inter-provincial
Whelehan also lined out with LeinsterLeinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
in the Railway Cup inter-provincial competition, however, he also had little success in this hurling competition.
Club
After his playing career came to an end Whelahan maintained a keen interest in the game of hurling as a coach and manager. He managed his native club of St. Rynagh's to county honours, before later guiding ToomevaraToomevara GAA
Toomevara GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Toomevara in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling.-Honours:*Munster Senior Club Hurling Championships: 3** 1993, 2004, 2006...
and Nenagh Éire Óg
Nenagh Éire Óg GAA
Nenagh Éire Óg GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football and hurling club, located in the town of Nenagh in North County Tipperary, Ireland.-History:Hurling has a long history in Nenagh, being played there long before the founding of the GAA...
to club honours in Tipperary
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
as well.
It was with Birr
Birr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
that Whelahan enjoyed his biggest successes. He took charge of his adopted club side in 1997 and steered Birr to a county title. Leinster club honours quickly followed before Birr captured the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
club title in 1998. The following year Whelahan's side captured the first of five county titles in-a-row. During this very successful period Birr also captured Leinster club honours in 1999, 2001 and 2002. These provincial titles were converted into All-Ireland wins in 2002 and 2003. Whelahan resigned as Birr manager after the club failed to win a sixth county title in-a-row in 2004. He later returned to guide the club to further county and Leinster honours in 2007. His side were later defeated by Portumna
Portumna GAA
Portumna GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Portumna in County Galway. The club is almost exclusively focused on hurling.-History:...
in the All-Ireland final in 2008.
Inter-county
At county level Whelahan was one of the most successful minor hurling managers of them all, leading Offaly to All-IrelandAll-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
titles in 1986, 1987 and 1989. He also took charge of the county under-21 and senior sides. Whelahan guided the senior team to several Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
titles in the late 1980s.
Whelahan served as manager of the Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
senior inter-county team between 2003 and 2005, however, he had little success as Limerick failed to win a championship game. He has also been linked to vacant managerial positions in Antrim, Westmeath
Westmeath GAA
The Westmeath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Westmeath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Westmeath...
, Offaly and Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
.